While I was browsing my iPad early this morning, I came across a video of Becoming Filipino. It is about a Canadian who made documentaries of his experiences during his stay in the Philippines. I admire him for appreciating the beauty of my country and having a positive view about Filipinos. The Philippines might not be a popular country in terms of modern technology and rich economy. However, there are a lot of beautiful places to see and explore. As a country with more than 7,000 islands, there are lots to discover.

Back in 2010, my boyfriend (now my husband) and I decided to celebrate our first year anniversary somewhere in the Philippines. We chose Bohol because of its beautiful countryside and magnificent white beaches. It is one of the major islands located in Central Visayas. From Manila, we took a flight going to Tagbilaran, the capital city of Bohol. At the airport we were welcomed by a tour guide who drove us around the island. One of the major industry of Bohol is tourism so do not be surprised if to see a lot of people in front of the airport offering tour package services.

The Bohol City Tour

We immediately headed to Loboc River for a river cruise with lunch. Cruising along the river while enjoying a sumptuous lunch on the boat was really awesome! There were groups of locals singing and dancing to entertain the visitors.

Enjoying the river cruise in Loboc

Dancing and singing locals entertain the visitors of Loboc River

Then we went to the see the famous Chocolate Hills and the tarsiers. These are signature tourists attractions of the island. We also made a short stop to the historic Sandugo Site and Baclayon Church.

Sweet kisses from heaven: The infamous Chocolate HillsThe endangered Tarsier: It was surreal to meet this little creature face-to-face

Remembering the Sandugo (blood compact) between the Spanish Miguel Lopez de Legazpi and the island's chieftain Datu Sikatuna in 1565The belltower of Baclayon Church built in 1595

Enjoying the Beach in Panglao

After a long tiring first day, we headed to our hotel in Panglao. It was still a bit bright so we decide to enjoy the beautiful beach in front of our hotel.

Enjoying the pearly-white sand and clear blue skies of Panglao Island

Very early the following morning, we rode a boat to see some dolphins. We also tried snorkeling in Balicasag Island and walking on the beautiful sands of Virgin Island. Since it is just us two, we joined another group for the boat ride which eventually became our new friends until now.

It was worth waking up very early to see the dolphins in their natural habitatGetting ready to snorkel in Balicasag Island, a marine sanctuary in Bohol

After our thrilling boat trip, we decided to have a more relaxing afternoon. We just stayed near the beach for the rest of the day. On our third and last day, we again made a short trip around Panglao Island before we finally going back to the airport. Our first stop was the Bohol Bee Farm. We enjoyed the presentation about bee farming, rafia making, and fresh flower salad and ice cream. Then we also went to Hinagdanan Cave, a naturally-lit cave with magnificent stalagmites and stalactites.

Listening to how bees are raised in Bohol Bee FarmEnjoying the unique ice cream flavors in Bohol Bee Farm, ginger and malunggayFresh salad with cosmos and hummingbird (katuray) flowersInside the HInagdanan Cave

As we head back home we both agreed that this is a place which we would never get tired of visiting.

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